(WaTi)
– The White House tried to explain Tuesday why it has refused to use
the term “radical Islam” in describing the Islamist terrorists
responsible for last week’s Paris attacks and other acts of violence
across the globe.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the administration
doesn’t want to legitimize those terrorists or the “warped” view of
Islam they hold. Also, Mr. Earnest said, the phrase “radical Islam”
simply is not an accurate way to describe the enemies of the U.S.,
France and other nations across the globe.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to be in a position where I’m repeating
the justification they have cited that I think is illegitimate. They had
invoked Islam to justify their attacks,” he told reporters. “I think
what I’m trying to do is to describe to you what happened and what they
did. These individuals are terrorists. … We have chosen not to use that
label [of radical Islam] because it doesn’t seem to accurately describe
what happened.”